Tangent stream thermal shrinking device

ABSTRACT

A tangent stream thermal shrinking device includes a chassis, along two side of which two position adjusting mechanisms are arranged. Each position adjusting mechanism has at least one mounting section, of which the position is adjustable. Mounting seats that are respectively mounted to the mounting sections of the position adjusting mechanisms each form at least one track slot. Hot air dispensers are respectively coupled to the track slots of the mounting seats and are thus angular position adjustable along the track slots to discharge hot air streams along paths that are tangential to a circumference of an article outside which a heat shrink film wraps. A hot air supply device supplies hot air to the hot air dispensers to have the heat shrink film fast and uniformly heated and shrunk for packaging.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a tangent stream thermal shrinking device, and in particular to a tangent stream thermal shrinking device that comprises a plurality of hot air dispensers that dispenses hot air streams along paths that are tangential to a circumference at different angles in order to uniformly heat a heat shrink film wrapping around a packaged article.

2. The Related Arts

In a heat sealing process carried out by a heat sealing packaging machine, except the operation of fitting a heat shrink film over an article to be packaged, the most important facility for handling the final and most important process is a thermal shrinking device. The known heat shrinking device is often arranged at one side or both sides or top of an article to be packaged and hot air streams are only allowed to move along paths passing one side or two sides or top of the article, making the heat sealing package that is formed of a heat shrink film wrapping around the article looking poor and non-uniform. The outside appearance of the heat sealing package becomes messy and scruffy and the quality of packaging deteriorates. Such a poor outside appearance and deteriorating quality of packaging greatly affect the sale of product and suppress consumers' desire of purchase. This is a major issue to be overcome for the heat sealing packaging.

Prior art references, such as Taiwan Utility Model No. M348070, which relates to a “hot air heating device”, Chinese Patent Application No. 201010543690.7 (Publication No. CN102050243), which relates to a “shrinkage channel”, Chinese Patent Application No. 200780052373.1 (Publication No. CN101641260), which relates to a “shrinkage oven for shrinking a shrink film to wrap around a packaged object or a packaged unit”, and Chinese Patent Application No. 01818418.9 (Publication No. CN1473125), which relates to a “heat shrinkage channel of packaging machine with increased adaptability”, all disclose conventional thermal shrinkage heating devices. These hot air operated heating devices are installed at opposite sides of an article to be packaged so that they can properly carry out heating on articles of different sizes. However, again, the heating applied to the heat shrink film wrapping around the article is still performed in a non-uniform manner, and messy outside appearance and poor packaging quality result after the heat shrink film shrinks, both being the drawbacks of the conventional devices discussed above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The thermal shrinkage heating device of the conventional heat sealing packaging machine provides hot air streams moving along paths extending to one side or two sides or top side of an article to be packaged so that drawbacks that the packaging quality and the outside appearance of a heat shrink film wrapping around the packaged article become poor and unacceptable result.

In view of these problems, it is desired to have a thermal shrinkage heating device, which provides hot air streams that move along uniformly arranged paths toward a heat shrink film wrapping around an article so that the heat shrink film that wraps around the article can be heated uniformly to show substantially homogenous shrinking.

Thus, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a tangent stream thermal shrinking device, which comprises a chassis, at least two position adjusting mechanisms, a plurality of mounting seats, a plurality of hot air dispensers, and at least one hot air supply device. The position adjusting mechanisms are arranged at two side portion of an interior space of the chassis. Each position adjusting mechanism comprises at least one mounting section, of which the position in frontward direction, rearward direction, upward direction, and downward direction is adjustable. The mounting seats are respectively mounted to the mounting sections of the position adjusting mechanisms. Each mounting seat forms at least one track slot. The hot air dispensers are respectively coupled to the track slots of the mounting seats and are thus angular position where each hot air dispenser is removably fixed can be adjusted along the track slots to discharge hot air streams along paths that are tangential to a circumference of an article outside which a heat shrink film wraps. The hot air supply device supplies hot air to the hot air dispensers to have the heat shrink film wrapping around the article fast and uniformly heated and shrunk for packaging.

The tangent stream thermal shrinking device according to the present invention provides an advantage that by means of the position adjusting mechanisms and the rails formed in the mounting seats, each of the hot air dispensers provides hot air streams that flow along paths that are tangential to an outer circumference of articles to be packaged of any size at various angles, so that the heat shrink film wrapping outside the packaged article can be heated uniformly to result in substantially homogenous shrinking thereby improving the heat shrink film packaging quality and providing the packaged article with a neat and aesthetic outside appearance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a tangent stream thermal shrinking device according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the tangent stream thermal shrinking device according to the present invention with an enclosure removed;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing a position adjusting mechanism, mounting seats, and the hot air dispensers of the tangent stream thermal shrinking device according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view showing the position adjusting mechanism adjusting horizontal and vertical positions of the hot air dispenser;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an application of the tangent stream thermal shrinking device of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a top plan view showing heat sealing packaged articles conveyed by a conveyor belt device shown in FIG. 6 to pass between hot air stream paths of the hot air dispensers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 1-5, a tangent stream thermal shrinking device constructed in accordance with the present invention, generally designated at 100, comprises a chassis 10, which has an interior space of which two opposite portions respectively form retention zones 11. The chassis 10 has an exterior that is coupled to an enclosure 12 in such a way that the enclosure 12 has front and rear ends each forming an opening 121.

At least two position adjusting mechanisms 20 are respectively arranged at the retention zones 11 at the two side portions of the interior of the chassis 10. Each position adjusting mechanism 20 comprises a bracket 21, a horizontal movement device 22, a vertical movement device 23, and a mounting section 24. The bracket 21 has upper and lower ends to which a first fixing bar 211 and a second fixing bar 212 are respectively fixed. The horizontal movement device 22 comprises a stationary bottom board 221, a front board 222, a screw 223, a plurality of rails 224, a first movable block 225, second movable blocks 226, and a rotary hand wheel 227. The stationary bottom board 221 is fixed to the first fixing bar 211 of the bracket 21. The front board 222 forms a threaded hole 222 a and a plurality of through holes 222 b. The screw 223 and the rails 224 each have an end extending through the threaded hole 222 a and the through holes 222 b to rotatably couple to the stationary bottom board 221. The first movable block 225 forms therein a threaded hole 225 a, which threadingly mates the screw 223. The second movable blocks 226 are respectively and movably mounted to the rails 224. The rotary hand wheel 227 is coupled to an end of the screw 223 close to the front board 222 for manual operation of rotation in clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

The vertical movement device 23 comprises a stationary bottom board 231, a front board 232, a screw 233, a plurality of rails 234, a third movable block 235, fourth movable blocks 236, and a rotary hand wheel 237. The front board 232 forms a threaded hole 232 a and a plurality of through holes 232 b. The screw 233 and the rails 234 each have an end extending through threaded hole 232 a and through holes 232 b to rotatably couple to the stationary bottom board 231. The third movable block 235 forms a threaded hole 235 a, which threadingly mates the screw 233. The fourth movable blocks 236 are respectively and movably mounted to the rails 234. The third movable block 235 and the fourth movable blocks 236 are fixed to the second fixing bar 212 of the bracket 21. The rotary hand wheel 237 is coupled t an end of the screw 233 close to the front board 232 for manual operation of rotation in clockwise or counterclockwise direction in order to have the third movable block 235 vertically move upward and/or downward along the screw 233 and the fourth movable blocks 236 vertically move upward and/or downward along the rails 234 thereby driving the bracket 21 to move upward and/or downward.

The mounting section 24 has an underside coupled to the first movable block 225 and the second movable blocks 226 of the horizontal movement device 22, whereby the mounting section 24 is movable frontward and/or rearward in a horizontal direction or upward and/or downward in a vertical direction with the clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the rotary hand wheel 227 of the horizontal movement device 22 or the clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the rotary hand wheel 237 of the vertical movement device 23 (as shown in FIG. 5).

A plurality of mounting seats 30 is mounted to each mounting section 24 of each position adjusting mechanism 20. Each mounting seat 30 forms at least one track slot 31, which can be of any configuration and a curved slot is taken as an example in the present invention for illustration.

A plurality of hot air dispensers 40 is provided to respectively associate with the mounting seats 30 and each is provided with at least one threaded hole 41, which is in alignment with the track slot 31 of the respective mounting seat 30 and is thus coupled thereto by means of a threaded fastener set 42. The threaded fastener set 42 is not limited to any specific type and in the present invention, paired bolt and nut are taken as an example for illustration, to allow each hot air dispenser 40 to be selectively set at variable angles and positions with respect to the respective mounting seat 30. In the present invention, the hot air dispensers are arranged in four tangents of a circular trace as an illustrative example. Each of the hot air dispensers 40 has an end forming an air ejection nozzle 43, which is not limited to any specific shape, and a flattened horn like shape is taken as an example for illustration.

At least one hot air supply device 50 supplies hot air and is connected to each of the hot air dispensers 40 to supply the hot air to each of the hot air dispensers 40 so that the hot air can be discharged through the air ejection nozzles 43. The hot air supply device 50 is not limited to be set at any specific location and in the present invention, the hot air supply device 50 is arranged on the bottom of the chassis 10 as an example. If desired, the hot air supply device can be arranged outside the chassis 10.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a preferred application of the tangent stream thermal shrinking device 100 of the present invention is shown, wherein a conveyor belt device 200 is arranged between the two mounting seats 11 of the chassis 10. The conveyor belt device 200 sequentially conveys a plurality of heat sealing packaged articles 300. The front and rear openings 121 of the enclosure 12 of the chassis 10 serve as inlet and outlet of the heat sealing packaged articles 300. The air ejection nozzles 43 of the hot air dispensers 40 eject hot air streams that travel along paths that are tangents of a circumference of a heat sealing packaged articles 300, whereby the heat sealing packaged article 300, when passing between the hot air dispensers 40, may have a heat shrink film wrapping outside the heat sealing packaged article subjected to uniform heating by a plurality of hot air streams supplied from the hot air dispensers 40 and moving along paths tangential to the circumference of the packaged article (see FIG. 7). As such, the packaging quality of the heat shrink film wrapping around the heat sealing packaged article 300 can be improved. The timing for the hot air dispensers 40 to eject hot air streams can be controlled by means of photoelectric switches that detect the positions of the heat sealing packaged articles 300 or the conveyance position of the conveyor belt device 200.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A tangent stream thermal shrinking device, comprising: a chassis, which has an interior space of which two opposite portions respectively form retention zones, between which a heat sealing packaged article is allowed to pass; at least two position adjusting mechanisms, which are respectively arranged at the retention zones at the two side portions of the interior of the chassis, each of the position adjusting mechanisms comprising a mounting section, the position adjusting mechanism being operable to adjust horizontal or vertical position of the mounting section; a plurality of mounting seats, which is mounted to the mounting section of each of the position adjusting mechanisms, each of the mounting seats forming at least one track slot; a plurality of hot air dispensers, which is respectively coupled to the track slots of the mounting seats to allow each of the hot air dispensers to be movable among various angles and positions with respect to the mounting seat, so that the hot air dispensers are selectively set to discharge hot air streams along paths that are tangential to a circumference of a heat sealing packaged articles; and at least one hot air supply device, which is connected to each of the hot air dispensers to supply hot air to the hot air dispenser.
 2. The tangent stream thermal shrinking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chassis has an exterior that is coupled to an enclosure in such a way that the enclosure has front and rear ends each forming an opening.
 3. The tangent stream thermal shrinking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the position adjusting mechanisms comprises: a bracket, which has upper and lower ends to which a first fixing bar and a second fixing bar are respectively fixed; a horizontal movement device, which is mounted to the first fixing bar of the bracket; a vertical movement device, which is mounted to the second fixing bar of the bracket so that the vertical movement device is operable to selectively adjust a vertical position of the bracket; and a mounting section, which has an underside coupled to the horizontal movement device so that the horizontal movement device is operable to selectively adjust a horizontal position of the mounting section, the vertical movement device being also adjusting operable to adjust a vertical position of the mounting section by selectively adjusting the vertical position of the bracket.
 4. The tangent stream thermal shrinking device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the horizontal movement device comprises: a stationary bottom board, which is fixed to the first fixing bar of the bracket; a front board, which forms a threaded hole and a plurality of through holes; a screw and a plurality of rails, each having an end extending through threaded hole and through holes of the front board to rotatably couple to the stationary bottom board; a first movable block, which forms a threaded hole threadingly mating the screw; a plurality of second movable blocks, which are respectively and movably mounted to the rails; and a rotary hand wheel, which is coupled to an end of the screw close to the front board for operation of rotation in clockwise or counterclockwise direction.
 5. The tangent stream thermal shrinking device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the vertical movement device comprises: a stationary bottom board; a front board, which forms a threaded hole and a plurality of through holes; a screw and a plurality of rails, each having an end extending through threaded hole and through holes of the front board to rotatably coupled to the stationary bottom board; a third movable block, which forms a threaded hole threadingly mating the screw; a plurality of fourth movable blocks, which are respectively and slidably mounted to the rails, the third movable block and the fourth movable blocks being fixed to the second fixing bar of the bracket; and a rotary hand wheel, which is coupled to an end of the screw close to the front board for operation of rotation in clockwise or counterclockwise direction.
 6. The tangent stream thermal shrinking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the track slots of the mounting seats are of a curved configuration.
 7. The tangent stream thermal shrinking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the hot air dispensers forms at least one threaded hole, which is in alignment with the track slot of the respective mounting seat to be coupled thereto by a threaded fastener set.
 8. The tangent stream thermal shrinking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the hot air dispensers has an end forming an air ejection nozzle.
 9. The tangent stream thermal shrinking device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the air ejection nozzle is of a configuration of flattened horn.
 10. The tangent stream thermal shrinking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hot air supply device is arranged at a bottom of the chassis. 